1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for controlling miscellaneous means associated with an exchange, the exchange handling a fixed length cell with a control field and an information field, wherein the miscellaneous means such as a remote device is controlled that is associated with an exchange including a call processor, a switch and a signal device.
2) Description of the Related Art
An ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) exchange is categorized as an exchange which handles a fixed length cell with a control field and an information field. The ATM exchange technology has been agreed as the next generation exchange system by the CCITT (International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee). The ATM exchange technology has been aggressively studied in many institutions to realize as the broadband ISDNs (Integrated Services Digital Networks).
It may be considered that a remote device such as concentration equipment is arranged as an element of an ATM exchange in an intra-office. However, in the ATM exchange technology, the remote device control system has not been realized at present stage. Hence it is not possible to realize a path connection technology.
In the STM (Synchronous Transfer Mode) exchange, an exclusive channel (time slot) is arranged between the remote device and the exchange body to control the remote device.
However, since the ATM exchange transfers asynchronously information using a cell with a fixed data length, the time slot used in the STM exchange cannot identify cells. The fact requires to develop a system where a miscellaneous device such as a remote device is controlled according to the feature of the ATM exchange.